IV 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 479 

Encouraging observance of National Wildlife Refuge Week with appropriate 

events and activities, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 9, 2015 

Mr. THOMPSON of California (for himself, Mr. WITTMAN, Mr. KIND, Mr. 

LOBIONDO, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. FARR, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Ms. 

MCCOLLUM, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Mr. HONDA, Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Mr. ISRAEL, Ms. PINGREE, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. CLAWSON of Florida, Mr. WALZ, Mr. POCAN, Ms. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM of New 

Mexico, Mr. HECK of Washington, Mr. PERLMUTTER, and Mr. COSTELLO

of Pennsylvania) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 

to the Committee on Natural Resources 

RESOLUTION 

Encouraging observance of National Wildlife Refuge Week 

with appropriate events and activities, and for other purposes. 

Whereas, in 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt established 

the first national wildlife refuge on Pelican Island in 

Florida; 

Whereas, in 2015, the National Wildlife Refuge System, administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, is the premier system of lands and waters to conserve 

wildlife in the world, and has grown to approximately 


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150,000,000 acres, 563 national wildlife refuges, and 38 

wetland management districts in every State and territory of the United States; 

Whereas national wildlife refuges are important recreational 

and tourism destinations in communities across the 

United States, and these protected lands offer a variety 

of recreational opportunities, including 6 wildlife-dependent uses that the National Wildlife Refuge System manages: hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, photography, 

environmental education, and interpretation; 

Whereas, in 2015, 336 units of the National Wildlife Refuge 

System have hunting programs and 275 units of the National Wildlife Refuge System have fishing programs, 

averaging approximately 2,500,000 hunting visits and 

nearly 7,000,000 fishing visits each year; 

Whereas the National Wildlife Refuge System experienced 

nearly 30,000,000 wildlife observation visits during fiscal 

year 2014; 

Whereas national wildlife refuges are important to local businesses and gateway communities; 

Whereas for every $1 appropriated, national wildlife refuges 

generate nearly $5 in economic activity; 

Whereas visitation to the National Wildlife Refuge System increased by nearly 27 percent from 2005 to 2014 and experiences over 47,000,000 visits each year, which generated more than $2,400,000,000 and more than 35,000 

jobs in local economies during fiscal year 2011; 

Whereas the National Wildlife Refuge System encompasses 

every kind of ecosystem in the United States, including 

temperate, tropical, and boreal forests, and wetlands, 

deserts, grasslands, arctic tundras, and remote islands, 


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and spans 12 time zones from the United States Virgin 

Islands to Guam; 

Whereas national wildlife refuges are home to more than 700 

species of birds, 220 species of mammals, 250 species of 

reptiles and amphibians, and more than 1,000 species of 

fish; 

Whereas national wildlife refuges are the primary Federal 

lands that foster production, migration, and wintering 

habitat for waterfowl; 

Whereas, since 1934, the sale of the Federal Duck Stamp to 

outdoor enthusiasts has generated more than 

$850,000,000 in funds, which has enabled the purchase 

or lease of more than 5,700,000 acres of habitat for waterfowl and numerous other species in the National Wildlife Refuge System; 

Whereas the recovery of 386 threatened species and endangered species is supported on refuge lands; 

Whereas national wildlife refuges are cores of conservation 

for larger landscapes and resources for other agencies of 

the Federal Government and State governments, private 

landowners, and organizations in their efforts to secure 

the wildlife heritage of the United States; 

Whereas nearly 36,000 volunteers and approximately 200 national wildlife refuge ‘‘Friends’’ organizations contribute 

more than 1,400,000 hours to national wildlife refuges 

annually, the equivalent of nearly 700 full-time employees, and provide an important link to local communities; 

Whereas national wildlife refuges provide an important opportunity for children to discover and gain a greater appreciation for the natural world; 


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Whereas because there are national wildlife refuges located in 

several urban and suburban areas and at least one refuge 

located within an hour drive of every metropolitan area 

in the United States, national wildlife refuges employ, 

educate, and engage young people from all backgrounds 

in exploring, connecting with, and preserving the natural 

heritage of the United States; 

Whereas, since 1995, refuges across the United States have 

held festivals, educational programs, guided tours, and 

other events to celebrate National Wildlife Refuge Week 

during the second full week of October; 

Whereas the United States Fish and Wildlife Service will continue to seek stakeholder input on the implementation of 

‘‘Conserving the Future: Wildlife Refuges and the Next 

Generation’’, an update to the strategic plan of the Service for the future of the National Wildlife Refuge System; 

Whereas the week beginning on October 11, 2015, has been 

designated as ‘‘National Wildlife Refuge Week’’ by the 

United States Fish and Wildlife Service; and 

Whereas encouragement by the House of Representatives of 

the observance of National Wildlife Refuge Week would 

recognize more than a century of conservation in the 

United States, raise awareness about the importance of 

wildlife and the National Wildlife Refuge System, and 

celebrate the myriad recreational opportunities available 

to enjoy this network of protected lands: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) encourages the observance of National Wild3 life Refuge Week with appropriate events and activi4 ties; 


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1 (2) acknowledges the importance of national 

2 wildlife refuges for their recreational opportunities 

3 and contribution to local economies across the 

4 United States; 

5 (3) pronounces that national wildlife refuges 

6 play a vital role in securing the hunting and fishing 

7 heritage of the United States for future generations; 

8 (4) identifies the significance of national wild9 life refuges in advancing the traditions of wildlife ob10 servation, photography, environmental education, 

11 and interpretation; 

12 (5) recognizes the importance of national wild13 life refuges to wildlife conservation and the protec14 tion of imperiled species and ecosystems, as well as 

15 compatible uses; 

16 (6) acknowledges the role of national wildlife 

17 refuges in conserving waterfowl and waterfowl habi18 tat pursuant to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 

19 U.S.C. 703 et seq.); 

20 (7) reaffirms the support of the House of Rep21 resentatives for wildlife conservation and the Na22 tional Wildlife Refuge System; and 

23 (8) expresses the intent of the House of Rep24 resentatives— 


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1 (A) to continue working to conserve wild2 life; and 

3 (B) to manage and grow the National 

4 Wildlife Refuge System for current and future 

5 generations. 

Æ 


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